Rebel Blog — training

We are advocates of responsible dog ownership, which we personally feel begins with socializing puppies from an early age. The more socialization a puppy receives, the better acclimated to the real world he will be as he grows. One of the most useful tools we ever received from our dog trainer was a list of “socialization musts.” This list included over 100 environmental aspects that a puppy should grow up familiar with, including: people, sounds, touch (surfaces), and other dogs.

Both of our Dobermans, Diesel and Dakoda, attended Puppy Kindergarten at Cool Dog Training in Temecula, California from the time we brought them home until they graduated at 16 weeks old. Puppy Kindergarten facilitates a safe place for puppies ages 8 to 16 weeks old to play with each other and learn about the world. The class begins to teach the basics of positive reinforcement training, like sit, wait, and follow me and how to convey cues using both simultaneous sound and hand signals, so should your dog go deaf or blind as he ages you will still be able to communicate with him. 

In Kindergarten puppies learn play etiquette so that they will be able to interact politely with other dogs they come across in life. The class also teaches the humans how to be good leaders and how to adequately socialize your puppy. 

Free Puppy Kindergarten:

Our local dog trainer, who is awesome and comes highly recommended, is offering FREE puppy kindergarten to all puppies! She is so passionate about helping start every dog off on the right track that she offers puppy socialization every Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. for absolutely free. All puppies must have proof of at least one round of Parvo/ Distemper vaccine (DHPP). No need to sign up or call ahead, just show up! 

{Cool Dog Training is located in beautiful Temecula Valley Wine Country. Situated on 3.5 acres, her training facility features immaculate indoor training rooms and a fenced outdoor yard for potty breaks during class. The owner and head trainer, Lynne, is a wonderful person as well as an awesome trainer. All of her staff members are professionally trained dog trainers as well. Address: 35581 Glenoaks Road, Temecula, CA 92592. Phone: (951) 676-9622. Website: cooldogtraining.com.}

Spring is here! We love the beautiful landscape in full bloom, the promise of warm nights, hiking and being outdoors with the dogs. But the one thing we don't welcome with the changing of the seasons each Spring is the appearance of rattlesnakes. Every year in the United States alone, over 150,000 dogs and cats are bitten by venomous snakes, making them 300 times more likely to be bitten by a venomous snake than to contract rabies. 

Dogs are naturally curious, an inquisitive dog and a rattlesnake can be a deadly combination. So this past weekend the rebel pups attended Rattlesnake Avoidance Training at Cool Dog Training. 

How does it work? Trained snake handlers place hooded snakes in various locations on a rural property and then walk each dog through the course. The dog is allowed to smell, hear, and see the snakes, but never touch them. They will learn to associate the smell, sight, and sound of a rattlesnake with "bad". So in the future after going through the clinic, if the dog encounters a rattlesnake, it will not only avoid the snake but also alert its owner to the snakes presence.

Is it safe? Absolutely! Each rattlesnake is hooded, so there is no way for it to bite.

How long does it take? Each dog is rotated through the course twice, to assure they understand the association. The process generally takes under an hour and is an invaluable tool to protect your dog.